Improvement in machines for molding, felting, and fulling hat-bodies



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEI MOSES A. JOHNSON AND WILLIAM MURKLAND, OF LOWELL, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT INA MACHINES' FOR MOLDING, FELTING, AND FULLING HAT-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,03l, dated October 23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MOSES A. JQHNSON and WILLIAM MURKLAND, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Iinprovement in Machines for Molding, Felting, and Fulling Fur, Wool, and other Substances for Hat-Bodies; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents an elevation of the nia chine. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section through the machine.

Similar letters of reference, where they 0ccur in the separate figures, denote like parts of the machine in both of the drawings.

In the manufacture of hats from fur or wool as at present practiced, much manual labor is done and several different manipulations are required, and with these the bat does not closely approximate the 'form of the nished hat, but must be stretched in some of its parts and shrunk in other parts, requiring time and skill and consequent cost.

We propose to take the bat, after it is formed and only sufficiently hardened to be moved, and mold, felt, and fullit by machinery, thus avoiding all handwork and very much expediting and cheapening the cost of their production, inasmuch as we mold the hats to pretty nearly their form at the same time that We felt and full them, and leave but little shaping or forming to be done afterward.

And our invention relates to an automatic machine wherein bats for hats are molded, felted, and fulled at one operation, as will be explained.

` 'Io enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the same in connection with the drawmgs.

The base A of our machine is a steam-box, into which steam can be admitted through an opening, B, or otherwise, in any well-known way, and upon this base or bed A is mounted a frame work, O, for containing the gearing, Ste., by which the necessary movements ofthe several parts are obtained. In the center of this bed, base, or box, and upon its top, is made a circular opening for the purpose of receiv ing the bowl or mold D, of any suitable size and form, which extends down into the steamchamber" within the box. This bowl or mold is made -of copper or other metal, yand is perforated with a large number of small holes, a a a, through which the steam from the box readily passes to its inner side.

The bowl or mold D is fastened to a metallic rim, E, around whose perimeter there is a groove for receiving an endless belt or band, b, for turning the bowl or mold.

In the full-sized operating machine we propose to use cogged gear for turning the bowl or mold; but the belt will illustrate the movea ment.

The rim E is grooved to lit a similar rim and groove, F, which is stationary upon the outer edge of the circular opening in the top of the box A.

The general shape of the bowl or mold D is conical 5 but we do not limit ourselves to any specific shape or form, changing that to suit `the shape or form of the thing to be made in it, our object being to make at one process the top or crown of the hat with as little stretching as possible afterward, and, indeed, to mold the hat as nearly into its ultimate general form as can -be done; and as the bowl or mold is to aid in giving the bat the desired form, we can make it accordingly, and shape it as fashion or our own inclination may de-v mand or require.

A cone or former, G, is made to flt the in4 terior of the bowl or mold, and operates in connection with it. rIhis cone may be made of wood and solid, or of metal; but we prefer to have it made hollow and perforated, so that steam may be admitted through it to the bat which it carries. l

At the upper edge or top of the cone there is somewhat more space between it and the bowl than at the bottom or tip, the object of which'space is to prevent too firm felting at the rim of the bat. The vibrating motion that is given to the cone, as will be hereinafter explained, is greater at its top, and conv-V sequently more felting is done at this. point than at the bottom. For this reason the additional space at the top is made, so as to counteract this excessive feltin g at that point.

The cone or former G is attached to an upright shaft, H,by means of a pin or joint at c,

which allows it to be turned up at right angies to the bowl or mold D, as seen in Fig. 2, for the purpose of fitting a bat upon it preparatory to its being operated upon, or to examine the work, or to remove the bat from it more easily when finished. On the outer surface of the cone we arrange a series of plates, d, or their equivalents, overlapping each other like the scales of a fish, the object of which is to give in the falling movement of the cone, (to be hereinafter described,) a definite and positive blow upon the bat, which shall force it downward and hasten the fullin g process. This shingling of the cone may be done otherwise than by plates, as the shoul ders or recesses may be turned, stamped, or cast upon the wood or metal, it being only necessary to form a surface that will crowd down and thus aid in fulling the bat. t

The upright shaft H passes through suitable boxes I Il upon the frame (l ofthe machine, and has a stationary arm, J, fastened upon itj ust above the first box, I, and through which it receives its reciprocations, as will be explained.

A horizontal shaft, K, is set in boxes L on the frame G, upon which are placed at one end the driving-pulley M, and at the opposite end a face plate, c, upon whose outer surface a stud-plate, f, is adjusted and then secured, and to which stud or wrist plate an arm, N, is connected, which arm receives in an open slot at its opposite end the stationary arm J upon the shaft H, and thus gives a reciprocating motion to said shaft, which can be increased or diminished by setting the stud in the studplate farther from or nearer to the center of the faceplate.

The end of the arm N rests upon a spring, g, attached to the frame, and is kept in proper position by the guides h It on each of its sides, so that the stationary arm J on the upright shaft when lifted will freely rise, and when lowered nd its proper place and position in the slotted arm.

Upon the driving-shaft K there is a worm, t', which works into a worm-gear, 0, supported upon a stud, j. Upon one of the surfaces or faces of this worm-gear O there are a series of pins, k, which at stated intervals strike against a bent lever or arm, I?, which is upon a shaft, Q, and cause said shaft to rock or roll' in its bearings. Upon this shaft Q, at its front end, and in close proximity to the upright shaft H, there is another arm, R, securely fastened, which is slotted or forked, so as to embrace said upright shaft just below the stationary arm J thereon.

A movement of the main shaft K communicates motion to the gear O and brings its pins lc' in contact with the bent lever P and rocks the shaft Q, which in turn raises the slotted arm It and raises up the upright shaft H and its attachments.

As the pins leave the bent arm P the weight of the upright shaft causes it to drop and bring the cone or former Gr on its lower end down into the bowl or mold D, and thus the lifting-and-falling motion of the cone or former is attained.

On the opposite side of the worm-gear wheel O from the pins lc there is a pulley attached, around which and under the friction-pulleys l Z, and around the rim of thebowl or inoldE, passes an endless belt, b, by which a rotating motion is given to said bowl or mold. In practice, however, we carry the belt around a pulley on a gearwheel which meshes into cogs on the perimeter of the ring or bowl, and thus rotate said bowl or mold, and this rotation may be continuous or intermittent, as may be found most desirable in practice.

Upon the inside rim of the bowl or mold is a semicircular strip of metal, S, eccentrically arranged with regard to the bowl or mold, which, serves the purpose of operating an upright lever, T, which is pivoted at m to an adjustable arm, U, upon which it vibrates under the action of the strip or cam S. The upper end of this lever T is bent over into a horizontal position, and is forked so as to embrace the upright n connected to a weight, V,`that is slid outward upon the beam W by said lever when it in turn is moved by the cam S.

The beam W is also attached to a hook, o,"

upon a strap or cord, X, which is attached to the rigid arm J on the vertical shaft H, and,

passing up and over the pulleys p p, termi-` nates'in a weight, Y, that will about counterpoise the vertical shaft H and its attachments.

The movement of the lever T by the cam S ou the bowl or mold causes the weight V to be moved farther and farther out on the beam,

. thus overpoising or overbalancing the weight Y, so that a full and increasing force is given to the blow of the cone-shaft and former as it falls.

The stationary stud q upon the rim of the mold is designed for connecting a shipper to connect with the drivin g-gear, for the purpose of stoppin g the machine at each revolution of the bowl or mold, when so required.

The` operation is as follows: The cone or formerbeing raised up and swung out, as shown in Fig. 2, the bat is placed on it, and it i s then returned into the bowl or mold. The beam-balance W is then hooked to the strap X and steam admitted into the box A, (and through the cone or former G, when so made as to receive and transmit steam through it, as above dcscribed,) which passes through the perforations in the bowl or mold directly upon the bat to be felted. Motion is given to the main driving shaft K, which, through the arms N and J, gives a rapid reciprocating motion to the cone shaft and cone. At the same time the worm-gear, through the bent lever P, shaft Q, and arm R givesv the cone-shaft and cone a lifting-and-falling motion, so that the cone or form has two motions imparted to it at the same time-viz., a reciprocating rotary and rising-and-falling motion. The worm-gear also, by means of the endless belt b, (or by belt and cogged gearing, as above described,)

causes a continuous rotation of the bowl or mold, which motion may, however, be intermittent or a reciprocating one to and fro. The motion of the bowl communicates at a given time a motion to the lever T through the cam S, which moves the weight V out on the beam W, causing the blows of the cone to be heavier and heavier as the felting process continues. When the process has been continued long enough a shipper may throw out the gear and stop the machine. 'The beam-lever W is then unhooked from the weighted strap, the cone lifted up and swung out upon its hinge, and the perfectly-formed bat removed, and a seccond bat put on and the operation repeated.

The entire operation 'of molding, felting, and fullin g will require but a few minutes with a properly-speeded machine.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is- 1. Molding, felting, and fulling fur, wool, or other brous material for hat-bodies in a perforated mold, and by a cone or former correspondin g thereto, and the direct action of steam upon the materia-Ito be so molded,felted, and fulled.

4. Shingling, creasing, or shouldering the 1 cone or former, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. Automatically moving the weight out upon the beam-lever, so as to increase the force of the blow of the falling cone or former as the process proceeds, substantially as described.

MOSES A. JOHNSON. WILLIAM MURKLAND.

Witnesses:

J. W. PINKNEY, JOHN A. BUTTRICK. 

